Borden · 2015
BordenSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by R.J. Lewis
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 2 trigger warnings flagged
Borden is book 1 of Borden by R.J. Lewis. It came out in 2015. It sits in the mafia corner of the shelf. Spice is explicit (4 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 1 August 2015 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Borden.
Borden tropes
On this shelf, Borden is filed under Mafia dark romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Borden spice level
Is Borden dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Borden scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Borden trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Borden reading order
Borden is book 1 of 2 in R.J. Lewis's Borden series. Start here.
- Book 1 Borden (this book) · 2015
- Book 2 Borden 2 · 2015
Order checked against the Goodreads Borden series page on 13 October 2026. The Borden series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Borden
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Antony
Antony
Bethany-Kris
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Borden 2
Borden 2
R.J. Lewis
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Destino
Destino
Sienna Mynx
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- High Stakes
High Stakes
Vanessa Waltz
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Hold You Against Me
Hold You Against Me
Skye Warren
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- King of Diamonds
King of Diamonds
Renee Rose
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Owned by the Hitman
Owned by the Hitman
Alexis Abbott
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- The Skull Ruler
The Skull Ruler
Penelope Sky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
Books like Borden, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Borden?
Borden spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Borden trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Violence. Minor: Crime. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Borden dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Borden scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Borden?
On this shelf Borden is filed under Mafia dark romance.
Who is Borden for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is explicit. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Borden?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Antony by Bethany-Kris; Borden 2 by R.J. Lewis; Destino by Sienna Mynx; High Stakes by Vanessa Waltz; Hold You Against Me by Skye Warren; King of Diamonds by Renee Rose. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/borden.
Is Borden a standalone?
No. Borden is book 1 of 2 in the Borden series by R.J. Lewis.
What order should I read the Borden series in?
1. Borden; 2. Borden 2.
How many books are in the Borden series?
The Borden series by R.J. Lewis has 2 main books.
What is the Borden age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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